Monolithic multijunction solar cell having exactly four subcells

Abstract

A monolithic multijunction solar cell having exactly four subcells, an uppermost first subcell having a layer made up of a component having the elements AlInP, and the lattice constant a1 of the layer being between 0.572 nm and 0.577 nm, and the indium content being between 64% and 75%, and the Al content being between 18% and 32%, and the third subcell having a layer made up of a compound having at least the elements GaInAs, and the lattice constant of the layer being between 0.572 and 0.577, and the indium content of the layer being greater than 17%, and the second subcell comprising a layer including a compound which has at least the elements GaInAsP, the layer having an arsenic content between 22% and 33% and an indium content between 52% and 65%. and the lattice constant a2 being between 0.572 and 0.577.

Claims

1. A monolithic multijunction solar cell having exactly four subcells, the monolithic multijunction solar cell comprising: a first subcell having a first band gap in a range between 1.85 eV and 2.07 eV; a second subcell having a second band gap Eg2 in a range between 1.41 eV and 1.53 eV; a third subcell having a third band gap Eg3 in a range between 1.04 eV and 1.18 eV; the second subcell being arranged between the first subcell and the third subcell; a lowermost fourth subcell formed of germanium and having a band gap between 0.65 eV and 0.68 eV; a semiconductor mirror arranged between the third subcell and the fourth subcell; and a metamorphic buffer formed between the third subcell and the fourth subcell, the metamorphic buffer including a sequence of at least three layers, and a lattice constant increasing from layer to layer in the sequence of layers in a direction of the third subcell, wherein each of the four subcells includes an emitter and a base, wherein the first subcell includes a layer made up of a compound having at least the elements Al and In and P, and a thickness of the layer is greater than 100 nm, and the layer is formed as part of the emitter and/or as part of the base and/or as part of a space-charge zone situated between the emitter and the base, and the lattice constant of the layer is between 0.572 nm and 0.577 nm, and, with respect to the elements of the III main group, the indium content of the layer is between 64% and 75% and the Al content of the layer is between 18% and 32%, wherein the third subcell includes a layer made up of a compound having at least the elements Ga and In and As, and a thickness of the layer is greater than 100 nm, and the layer is formed as part of the emitter and/or as part of the base and/or as part of a space-charge zone situated between the emitter and the base, and the lattice constant of the layer is between 0.572 nm and 0.577 nm, and an indium content of the layer is greater than 17% with respect to the elements of the III main group, wherein the second subcell includes a layer including a compound which has at least the elements Ga and In and As and P, and in which the thickness of the layer in the second subcell is greater than 100 nm, and the layer is formed as part of the emitter and/or as part of the base and/or as part of a space-charge zone situated between the emitter and the base, the layer having an arsenic content between 22% and 33% with respect to the elements of the V main group and an indium content between 52% and 65% with respect to the elements of the III main group, the lattice constant is between 0.572 nm and 0.577 nm, and the lattice constant differs from the lattice constant of the layer of the third subcell by less than 0.3% or less than 0.2%, and wherein at least one part of the layer of the second subcell forms at least one part of the emitter of the second subcell, and has a dopant concentration of less than 5×10.sup.17/cm.sup.3.

2. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the lattice constant of the layer of the first subcell differs from the lattice constant of the layer of the third subcell by less than 0.3% or less than 0.2%.

3. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein no semiconductor bond is formed between the four subcells.

4. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the layer in the second subcell and the thickness of the layer in the third subcell is greater than 0.4 μm or greater than 0.8 μm.

5. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein, in the second subcell, the arsenic content of the layer is between 24% and 33%, and the indium content of the layer is between 52% and 61%.

6. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the layer of the second subcell is at least partially p-doped with the dopants Zn or C or Mg or at least partially n-doped with the dopants Si or Te or Se.

7. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the layer of the second subcell forms both an n-doped emitter and a p-doped base.

8. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the dopant concentration increases by more than 1×10.sup.17/cm.sup.3 in the direction of the third subcell at least over a portion of the layer of the second cell.

9. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein a passivation layer made up of a compound having at least the elements GaInP is formed above the layer of the second subcell and below the first subcell.

10. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein a passivation layer made up of a compound having at least the elements GaInP is formed below the layer of the second subcell and above the metamorphic buffer.

11. The multijunction solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the second subcell does not have a multijunction quantum well structure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a layer structure of an embodiment of a four-junction solar cell;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a layer structure of an embodiment of a four-junction solar cell;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a layer structure of an embodiment of a four-junction solar cell;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a layer structure of an embodiment of a four-junction solar cell;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a layer structure of an embodiment of a four-junction solar cell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) The illustration in FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a four-junction solar cell, including an uppermost subcell SC1 on an underlying second subcell SC2.

(8) An upper tunnel diode OTD is formed between first subcell SC1 and second subcell SC2.

(9) A third subcell SC3 is disposed below second subcell SC2. A middle tunnel diode MTD is formed between second subcell SC2 and third subcell SC3.

(10) A fourth subcell SC4 is disposed below third subcell SC3. A middle tunnel diode MTD is formed between third subcell SC3 and fourth subcell SC4.

(11) A metamorphic buffer MP is disposed between third subcell SC3 and middle tunnel diode MTD.

(12) The illustration in FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a four-junction solar cell. Only the differences from the first specific embodiment are explained below.

(13) Lower tunnel diode UTD is formed between third subcell SC3 and fourth subcell SC4, metamorphic buffer MP now being disposed between lower tunnel diode UTD and the fourth subcell.

(14) The illustration in FIG. 3 shows a third exemplary embodiment of a four-junction solar cell. Only the differences from the second specific embodiment are explained below.

(15) A semiconductor mirror HS is disposed between lower tunnel diode UTD and metamorphic buffer MP. In other words, first lower tunnel diode UTD and then semiconductor mirror HS and then metamorphic buffer MP are formed below third subcell SC3 before lowermost fourth subcell SC4 is subsequently formed.

(16) The illustration in FIG. 4 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of a four-junction solar cell. Only the differences from the third specific embodiment are explained below.

(17) First semiconductor mirror HS and then metamorphic buffer MP and then lower tunnel diode UTD are formed below third subcell SC3, before lowermost fourth subcell SC4 is subsequent formed, the aforementioned layers being disposed in the specified order.

(18) The illustration in FIG. 5 shows a fifth exemplary embodiment of a four-junction solar cell. Only the differences from the fourth specific embodiment are explained below.

(19) First semiconductor mirror HS and then lower tunnel diode UTD and then metamorphic buffer MP are formed below third subcell SC3, before lowermost fourth subcell SC4 is subsequent formed, the aforementioned layers being disposed in the specified order.

(20) The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.